Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

Episode: Goodfellas Meets the NBA: Massive NBA Gambling Ring is Bigger Than You Think
Date: October 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Ashleigh Banfield investigates an explosive federal case centered on a vast, sophisticated gambling ring that has ensnared NBA players, coaches, mobsters, and high-stakes gamblers. Drawing on decades of true crime reporting and featuring interviews with renowned criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and former mobsters Michael Franzese and Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, Banfield pulls back the curtain on a real-life scandal that rivals the wildest Hollywood crime capers.
Theme: The intersection of organized crime, high-tech gambling cheats, NBA insiders, and the age-old allure (and danger) of sports betting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unmasking the Scandal (00:35–06:11)

• Banfield sets the stage by referencing headlines about the nationwide gambling bust involving high-profile sports figures, mob families, and state-of-the-art cheating. She likens this real-life case to “Molly’s Game on steroids” and alludes to Hollywood’s vision of mob-influenced gambling.
• Technological cheating:
  • X-ray poker tables: “These are like poker tables that X-ray from the bottom up so they could see your cards…shoot that information to the back room.” (00:59)
  • Specialized contact lenses: Players mark cards in a manner only visible to those wearing special lenses.

    “They figured out a way to mark cards so that only the person wearing specialized contact lenses could read the markings.” (01:33)

  • Additional gadgets: Shuffling machines that stack the deck, poker chip trays and dummy cell phones with built-in electronics to read cards, and invisible ink marks.
• Mob enforcement: Mobsters are involved not just in scams but also in physically intimidating or harming gamblers who lose big in rigged games.

  “The mob would come for them and beat the shit out of them to get the money.” (02:51)

2. Scope of the Scheme: Poker & Sports (06:11–11:30)

• Dual operations:
  1. High-stakes poker rooms: Rich athletes lure other high-rollers; illegal gambling dens use tech to rig outcomes.
  2. NBA game-rigging:
     • Players and coaches allegedly fake injuries and leak insider details to facilitate profitable bets.
     • Names named:
       • Terry Rozier (Miami Heat): Accused of faking injuries for betting scams.

         “Charged with faking injuries so that gamblers could bet on how low his nightly scoring tally would be.” (08:30)

       • Chauncey Billups (Portland Trailblazers): Accused of lending legitimacy to illegal poker rooms by being a star presence.
       • Damon Jones (LA Lakers, formerly with LeBron James): Accused of giving inside information, notably about a superstar injury (LeBron James not accused).
• Mob involvement: Four of NYC’s five major mafia families are allegedly implicated.

  “You do not often hear about the Bonannos and the Gambinos and the Lucchese's and the Genoveses all playing in the sandbox well together. But that's what the FBI says here. Four out of five.” (07:23)

3. Expert Analysis with Mark Geragos (11:30–17:13)

• Federal prosecution:
  Geragos explains that federal prosecutors almost never pursue cases unless victory is nearly certain.

  “Normally, if there's a federal case, 90-something percent end in some kind of plea... it's rare that anybody ever hears a not guilty in a federal criminal defense case.” (13:04)

• The role of betting apps: Increased normalization and monetization of sports betting creates moral and legal complications.

  “...the prosperity of the league, and not just this league, but most of sports, is now almost 50% dependent on the revenues from the gambling sites and the gambling apps.” (15:14)

• The endless cat-and-mouse: High-tech cheating evolves alongside federal surveillance and prosecution. Geragos frames it as an inextricable part of the sports world.

  “Anytime you have this kind of a competition at this kind of a level, there is that urge to gamble or bet on it or wager on it, and that's always going to be the case.” (16:43)

4. Mobster Perspectives: Michael Franzese & Sammy “The Bull” Gravano (18:27–25:35)

• Gambling’s permanence:
  Franzese describes gambling as the mob’s perennial earner.

  “Gambling in that life is never going to go away. What happened here...is just the tip of the iceberg.” (18:39)

• Mob partnerships:
  Gravano confirms that while rare, mob families have historically collaborated for large-scale enterprises when mutual benefit is clear.

  “When they have mutual connections and they can bring it together, they work together... It was very powerful. And then they split the money.” (20:18)

• Violence and debts:
  The old cliches of mob “kneecapping” persist, though the scale and severity may vary today.

  “Normally that's what they'll do. They'll kill them. I don't think this is to that degree... These are small sentences that they'll play out. Everybody will pound their chest. They won the thing.” (24:40)

• Recruiting athletes:
  Franzese demystifies how athletes and coaches are drawn in.

  “Quite often you don't have to convince these guys to do it...it's never about winning or losing. It's always about the point spread.” (23:13)

• On informants (“rats”):
  Gravano notes the gravity of “flipping.”

  “More than likely in the mob, we killed them. I turned myself. But normally that's what they'll do.” (24:40)

• Core motivation—Greed:
  Gravano underlines greed as the root—a caution to those risking everything for quick cash.

  “How much greed, how much money do you want? And you put your whole career on the line...they throw it down the drain for greed.” (25:10)

5. Aftermath & Reflection (25:35–End)

• Legal updates:
  Banfield reads a statement from Terry Rozier’s lawyer, criticizing prosecutors for pursuing a “non-case” based on unreliable sources.
• Banfield’s closing:
  She reiterates the high likelihood of plea deals, the rarity of acquittals in federal court, and the enduring allure of exposing the hidden, sometimes dangerous, underworld of professional sports.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 00:59 | Banfield | “These are like poker tables that X-ray from the bottom up so they could see your cards…shoot that information to the back room.” | | 02:51 | Banfield | “The mob would come for them and beat the shit out of them to get the money.” | | 13:04 | Geragos | “Normally, if there's a federal case, 90-something percent end in some kind of plea... it's rare that anybody ever hears a not guilty in a federal criminal defense case.” | | 15:14 | Geragos | “The prosperity of the league...is now almost 50% dependent on the revenues from the gambling sites and the gambling apps.” | | 18:39 | Franzese | “Gambling in that life is never going to go away. What happened here...is just the tip of the iceberg.” | | 20:18 | Gravano | “When they have mutual connections and they can bring it together, they work together... It was very powerful. And then they split the money.” | | 24:40 | Gravano | “More than likely in the mob, we killed them. I turned myself. But normally that's what they'll do.” | | 25:10 | Gravano | “How much greed, how much money do you want? And you put your whole career on the line...” |

Key Timestamps for Segments

• [00:35] - Ashleigh Banfield introduces the FBI gambling ring investigation
• [03:00] - Details of technology and mob enforcement in poker cheats
• [06:11] - Explanation of how shuffling machines and gadgets work
• [08:16] - Move from poker scams to NBA game-rigging
• [11:30] - Conversation with Mark Geragos on legal complexities
• [14:43] - Discussion on betting apps and sports reporting overlap
• [17:13] - Table set for organized crime expert perspectives
• [18:27] - Michael Franzese & Sammy Gravano dig into mob-business dynamics
• [20:18] - Gravano explains inter-family mob cooperation
• [23:13] - How insiders lure and use athletes
• [24:40] - Consequences for mob “rats” and informants
• [25:35] - Final commentary and statement from Rozier’s attorney

Tone & Style

Banfield’s delivery is bold, irreverent, and acutely tuned to both the drama and complexity of true crime. She peppers her narrative with wry asides and invites listener incredulity (“Holy shit. Sammy the Bull said, guys who turned got murdered.” (25:35)), while her guests provide insider knowledge and a touch of dark humor.

Summary Takeaway

This episode provides a riveting, detailed look at a real-life scandal that fuses Hollywood-esque crime with the modern sports world’s deep ties to gambling. Through interviews and analysis, Banfield exposes how high-tech cheating, old-school mob tactics, and the insatiable pull of greed have created a multi-pronged criminal enterprise—one that may only be the “tip of the iceberg.” If you think you know sports scandals, this episode will have you questioning just how deep the rabbit hole goes.